


Your Lips they taste like June

by BreathDeeply578



Category: Fablehaven Series - Brandon Mull
Genre: F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, Mutual Pining, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 22:41:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29798952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BreathDeeply578/pseuds/BreathDeeply578
Summary: Seth at the age of eighteen is invited to a Knights of Dawn party to celebrate the wedding of two of his old friends.That's when he see's June. A young women from a different Preserve he has spent the last two years long distance pining over.Oh, and Bracken, Kendra and Warren are here to embarrass the shit out of him.
Relationships: Seth Sorenson/Original Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 1





	Your Lips they taste like June

Walking into the warm, well light house Seth spotted her instantly. Of course she was here, his heart slammed against his chest and heat rises to his checks, for no reason at all. Shit, she looked beautiful, because she always did. She looked extra beautiful tonight, though. This was a formal event after all, and the way she wore that dress…Well, Seth knew he was done for.

Seth had a crush, and it was not going well.

He hadn’t had trouble back in school. He was attractive and charming, sometimes he was worried some of his persuasion was part of his skills as a shadow charmer. Bracken had promised him he wasn’t exerting his will on people, he was far from the master manipulator that the sphinx was.

Bracken had actually laughed in his face when he voiced this concern, he should have been offended but instead he was just relived. It had been over five years since he had become a full fledge Shadow Charmer, and he still worried about accidently becoming evil someday.

Being friends with Bracken helped. How could he be evil if one of the purest creatures to walk the earth trusted him?

Maybe Bracken could give him some good advice. If it worked out, it might even be worth the taunting that Kendra would give him. Bracken had Kendra stupid in love with him since the day they met, well, maybe since the day the Fairy Queen vouched for him, and Kendra knew it wasn’t another Gavin trap.

Bracken looked over at him concerned. Thinking about how Naravgo had hurt Kendra and how he had killed Dougan, who should be at this event right now, set Seth’s already frayed nerves right on edge. And the unicorn could sense it. Of course, he could.

As a Shadow Charmer Seth had been working on not allowing other beings to read his emotions, he liked when entities underestimated him. Thinking that they controlled him with the fear they excreted. But he wasn’t in the mood to shut Bracken out, even though he normally would, to practice. Plus, maybe he could get Bracken to understand him, without having to talk to him.

Bracken looked over at where June was talking excitedly to Elisa and Mara.

They were the reason everyone was here together, to celebrate their marriage. It had been a small affair that, as far as Seth knew, on one was invited too. Then the women had thrown a huge party at one of “benefactors” manners.

Mara had looked overwhelmed by the amount of guest and noise. She stuck close to Elisa, though she had a smile to spear for him, Warren, Trask and Tanu as they walked in.

June was Elisa’s niece, and currently lived on a preserve in Maine. Though she planned to go to a College in Hartford at the end of the summer, which meant she would be right near Fablehaven, near Seth, who was working on taking over as caretaker of Fablehaven, after his Grandparents retire.

He had met her five times before this, and each time she had blown him away. She was funny, like really funny. She had even helped him pull a small prank on Kendra during last year’s Christmas party. She had not held back on him when, she first felt that the prank was too mean and made him water it down, because it was Christmas after all. She wasn’t afraid to talk back at anyone really and he didn’t want to admit how much he liked that.

After that he had scored her phone number, and they had talked pretty regularly over the last year.

Seth was worried it maybe more than a crush as he looked at her laughing at Mara, not unkindly, maybe Mara had told her a joke. Of course, her kindness and humor could relax Mara enough to not only talk but tell a joke.

Bracken wore a shit eating grin and Seth groaned. Bracken then proceeded to laugh heartily, initially startling Kendra who was standing next to him hand in hand.

Her worried frowned turn to elation as she swung her head around to look at Seth and then June.

Damn mind to mind communication, it made them the most nauseating couple in existence.

Kendra pounced, walking straight towards Seth pulling her Unicorn, who was basically in hysterics, as he felt the strong emotions Seth was now sending out to him, on purpose. Bastard.

“June is very pretty” Kendra stage whispered

“Yeah, well why don’t you go talk to her?” Seth said coolly.

Truthfully, he knew he was completely sold out. Even before this, it hadn’t taken Bracken reading his fucking feelings for Kendra to just know. Before he had plausible deniability though, but he had lost that the second his emotions had reached out to Bracken, who still looked extremally smug. Piece of shit.

Bracken laughed again.

“Okay, I will… Should I steal her heart, since you are clearly uninterested, everyone does love a virtuous maiden.” She wiggled her eyebrows and smirked “Or should I spill the beans on how much you want to kiss her” Kendra seemed overjoyed.

“…. Neither?” Seth asked timidly.

Kendra wouldn’t steal her heart away; she wouldn’t do that to him. She also loved her unicorn in a sickingly over the top way. She would however, spill ever single bean about Seth’s feelings. She would do so, relishing in the payback for all the times he meddled with Gavin and Bracken.

He probably deserved it.

“We’ve drawn her attention” Bracken said smiling.

Seth looked over his shoulder and saw that unfortunately, once again, his friend was right. June was walking over to them. An easy happy smile on her face. Seth had to remind himself that she was human. She had no way to know what they had all been talking about. She was just coming over to great the group, as they had just entered the party.

 _Do you think Tanu would give me a courage potion?_ Seth asked using the communicator in his pocket.

If he reached out and touched Bracken, they could speak mind to mind the same way Bracken had with Kendra, but Seth thought that may look odd.

 _Probably not_. Bracken answered back instantly.

_Isn’t courage your thing though? Just go tell her._

_This isn’t the same as that kind of courage you need to save the world_. Seth answered with an eye roll.

Kendra looked on at the two boys, she seemed to know they were speaking, but didn’t know what they were saying. Meaning Bracken had closed her out of the conversation.

He was thinking about asking him to let Kendra in, so he could ask for her help. Yes, he was desperate enough to ask for his sisters help on landing a chick. How fucking pathetic.

But then June was there, smiling and greeting Seth with a warm hug.

It had been a year since he had seen her last.

The hug throws him through a fucking loop. Just a hug, that’s all it was, yet here he was completely lost for it, lost for her.

After she let go, she went to hug Kendra, who lets Bracken hand drop.

Bracken knew now, he knew this was more than Seth’s high school crushes. This was more than when he was “in love” with Mrs. Heeney, his English teacher freshmen year. This was more than second base in his car outside a movie theater. More than the time he had spent almost a month trying to charm his way into Morgens heart and maybe pants in Junior year. This was more. Way more and its overwhelming Seth.

Bracken lost the shit eating grin and his eyes softened. Then June went in for a hug with Bracken.

Bracken stiffened. He didn’t like touching people that didn’t know of his ability’s, Seth knew he felt like it was an intrusion.

He was also awkward as fuck.

But June was relentlessly kind and huggy. It had surprised Seth the first time she had done it to him too, after meeting her for the first time over two years ago.

When she let go, Bracken looked guilty, he had accidently read something off her. Seth could tell that Bracken now knew something he hadn’t been seeking out, which meant it had been right at the forefront of her thoughts.

“Kendra and I were actually going to go see the happy brides, please excuse use” Bracken said warmly.

He grabbed Kendra’s hand and tried to subtly lead away a reluctant Kendra. Suddenly Kendra gasped and spun around, looking at June and then Seth. Smiling like Christmas had come early. She clearly wanted to stay, but grudgingly let Bracken lead her away.

 _Damn, way to be weird Kens._ Seth thought at Bracken.

Kendra started cackling while they passed the fruit punch bowl.

“Hey, everything okay?” June asked Seth as he glared at the back of Kendra’s head.

“Hmmm? O shit… Yeah sorry, everything’s fine. Siblings you know?” Seth said gesturing towards Kendra’s and Bracken’s retreating form.

They seemed to actually be making their way to Warren, god, he hoped they didn’t get him involved.

“No, I don’t, as you know. it’s just me” June said sounding sassy but smiling, so Seth knew not to read into it too much.

“Well, lucky you. Sisters are frustrating.”

“Hey now, I know she is your favorite person. You can’t lie to me” June chided lightly.

“Yeah, she is... Anyway, how are you? I know we have talked almost every day but I uhhh… I’ve really missed you…” Seth admitted quietly.

He never fumbled like this. He was smooth and charming…. and currently sweating. Like a lot.

“I’ve really missed you too” she responds.

Her eyes were bright and a soulful brown, shinning a little in the light of the room. She looked happy, really happy to see him.

Suddenly he felt like he had to tell her; it couldn’t hurt her to know how he felt. It could hurt him sure, but not her.

His mouth opened then closed multiple times. He was hopelessly gaping at her, like a fucking fish. He had to say something now, anything.

June looked on in bemusement, sending him soft smiles and smelling of something close to cinnamon rolls.

She had probably baked a pie.

“Are you excited about school? Ready to come to the big bad city?” He stuttered out when his weird silence was lasting painfully long.

Fuck. He knew how she felt about school. About how leaving the preserve and her mom filled her with excitement and a deep-seated worry. They had talked, in length, about it over phone calls and text. But now their easy and open communication was turning awkward and stilted in person. He was turning awkward in person; he would never make fun of Bracken again.

At least for a little while.

“Yeah, I am excited… and nervous. Less so, knowing you are going to be near. Having a friend around wouldn’t hurt. Plus, someone I could call if I get myself into trouble?”

“Well you know, “call me, beep me if you want to reach me” Seth quoted.

They had recently taken up watching Kim Possible with each other on the phone, as a way to calm her frayed nerves.

His lame joke was rewarded with one of her light laughs.

She had two laughs, a light tinkling one and a loud gaffing one. The loud one normally involved some snorts and watering eyes. He personally loved them both and knew both where sincere. It had been a while since he heard her barking laugh, he missed it.

Recently, her life had become a little less peaceful on her homey preserve. As her parents started fighting often, icing each other out in a way that turned the whole house cold.

She would often ask Seth if she was stupid to still believe in love, in good. Watching her parent’s marriage crumple had weighted heavily on her. He would promise her that it existed, telling stories about his own parents and grandparents. Lena and Patton, Warren and Vanessa and even Kendra and Bracken. The stories and his words always seemed to make her feel better. Even the times her dad would go missing, sometimes for weeks at a time.

Another reason to tell her he loved her, that she wasn’t stupid to believe in love, because he did too. The main reason being her.

He wants to tell her just that, but he was choking up again.

“Oooo, my pies, I’ll be right back” She whispered. Touching his arm lightly as she left.

She was a touchy communicator, another thing that had taken him by surprise when they first meet. Reaching out and touching biceps and grabbing hands. She would rest her hands on his shoulders, and in one heart stopping event, pushed his too long bangs back out of his face with a soft swipe of her fingers.

Damn, why had he recently cut his hair?

Right, he wanted to look good, and Kendra had warned him the only person to look good with a man bun, was the unfairly attractive Bracken.

He was still stunned, imagining he could still feel the warmth of her hand, when a much less soft touch slammed into him, pulled him from his thoughts.

Warren had just bro-slugged him in the shoulder.

“You are really floundering there my guy” Warren laughed

Recently he has been trying to seem cool and less old. It wasn’t working.

“I may even win the bet I have going with Van, Hugo and the satyr’s.”

“Bet?” Seth growls out.

“If, how, when, and how embarrassing it will be when you ask out June.” Warren shrugged.

Seth shot him a death glare.

“Hey kid, I didn’t bet against you. I bet you would get there eventually…. and painfully. But I also bet she would say yes!” Warren smiled

“She’s back. May the force be with you.” Warren laughed out while he dashed away. Probably to go find Vanessa who would pretend to be irritated by his antics.

Seth loved his family, he really did. But they where a bunch of jackasses.

“Hey Seth, come with me?” June had asked.

Seth thought her tone sounded weird. She wasn’t timid, but she was soft spoken, an odd mixture that had soften Seth right down to his core. The way she was talking now though, it sounded husky and a little demanding. It almost seemed like she was flittering with him.

Then her hand slid down his arm and took his hand in hers, leading him outside away from the party. The contact made Seth’s mind go blank as he followed willing, until they crossed the threshold to the outside front lawn.

“Hey, wait” Seth mumbled.

“I don’t know where the boundaries they set up are.”

He didn’t want to deny her anything, but this was sort of a Knights gathering and safety precautions had been put in place. His young life had taught him a few tough lessons, one being to: absolutely push the boundaries. The second being to: do that only when necessary and only when endangering himself and no one else.

“No, it’s okay. Come on I want to get out of here. This party fucking sucks.”

That was weird. She loved Mara and Elisa, and most of the people at this party.

“Plus” She whispered while she leaned into him, running a single finger along the lines of his chest.

“I really want to touch you” She whispered in his ear.

His brain short circuited as he nodded numbly.

She pulled him a few more steps.

“Wait… Wait, I wanted to tell you something.”

She spun around and looked impatiently at him.

“I love you” He forced out.

She laughed, but it sounded wrong.

“Yes, good. Back at ya. Now let’s go” She pulled his arm, none to gently.

“Who even cares about two dykes getting married anyway?”

Seth freezes in his step. Pulling back on his arm.

Something was wrong, something had been wrong this whole time. He had been able to feel it in his gut back in the house, and now it was dragged to sharp focus.

This wasn’t June.

 _Bracken!_ Seth screamed out to him in his mind, grasping the coin in his pocket.

 _On my way_ Bracken urged back.

He heard a voice grumble

“He knows”

Suddenly June has a knife pulled out from a strap around her leg. But before Seth can even prepare for it to be turned on him, she has it held up to her own throat.

“Come with me, or the girl dies”

Junes face looks harden and determined, alien to her normally open and soft features.

Seth freezes.

When he steps forward, she digs the knife in a little. Causing a small amount of blood to come out.

“Not too close”

“Okay. Okay, whatever you want” Seth wheezes out.

 _Bracken…_ Seth growled out.

He didn’t know where Bracken was, but if it was Blix that had a hold on her, he could break it.

 _Close your eyes._ Came through his mind and he instantly closed his eyes.

That didn’t stop him form perceiving the blinding light Bracken hit June with from behind him.

Opening his eyes against the rays, he jumped up and snatched the knife from June while she was temporally blinded.

Throwing the knife to the side, he wrestled the struggling women to the ground.

She spat and hissed at him, yelling to releaser her. It caused an uncomfortable squirm in his stomach, but he didn’t ease up his hold.

Then Bracken was there, grabbing her and forcing the Blix to release control of her.

Seth sighed in relief as the soft, soulful, caring and honestly… confused looking, eyes turned back to him. The Blix had released her, and Bracken had healed the bite.

He was stilling straddling her and pinning her arms down, she looked at one of his hands that was holding her down and Seth quickly jumped off of her.

“Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you did I?” he whispered.

She shook her head looking between him and Bracken.

“What happened?” She asked quietly.

“A Narcoblix had control on you. I banished her away and healed the bite.”

“I was in the kitchen…. I didn’t see her coming until she was behind me, biting. I am so sorry, did I hurt anyone?” She asked concern lacing her voice.

“No, everyone is fine. They seemed insistent on getting Seth to cross the boundaries of the yard, onto the main road. He probably should have sensed that forces where waiting outside them, but apparently he was distracted.” Bracken scolded.

Seth blushed heavily.

“Why would Seth be able to sense the threat?” June asked curiously.

Bracken at least had the curtesy to grimaces at his mistake.

“I’m… Uh… I’m a Shadow Charmer” Seth stuttered out.

“And how did you heal my bite?” June asked suddenly, turning her head to Bracken.

“Unicorn” Bracken stated simply.

“Huh” June seemed unable to say much more.

Then

“Aren’t Shadow Charmers the made-up villains from childhood folk tales?” She asked.   
Seth almost felt like she was teasing him again, and maybe she was. But it hit home either way, as he flinched.

“Yeah, sorta” He grumbled out.

“Seth is no villain. Against all odds he is a virtuous shadow charmer” Bracken laughed out.

He loved using that adjudicative to describe the siblings. Although, while loving and adoring with Kendra, he tended to tease Seth to no end with it.

“Well if the unicorn says so, it must be.” She said laughing as Seth stood.

He offers his hand down to her and when she accepts the hand up, he feels better.

They all made their way into the party and June ran over to Elisa and Mara as soon as she spotted them.

“She wants to verify our story. She trusts us, but not fully.” Bracken stated as he and Seth watched her head over to them.

“Fuck, Bracken, does this mean I am going to have to say it again?” Seth groaned out.

Confused by his outburst Bracken looked over at him in amusement.

“Say what again?”

“Say that I love her…. I… Had told her, when she was under the Blix control”

“The Blix name was Bella, and I got her” Vanessa says from behind them.

“She was really no match for Nessa” Warren gushed, looking lovingly at his wife.

“Whoever was at the gate has left in a hurry.” Trask reported, as he entered the house with some of the fellow Knights of Dawn on his heals.

“There had been at least four Blix’s when I went out to help Seth and June” Bracken said

“What would a Blix want with Seth?” Bracken asked Vanessa, who shrugged.

“If they could turn him, he would be a powerful ally, I haven’t been part of that society in almost six years Brack.” She sighed out.

“Right. Well, see what you can uncover? And Seth” Bracken had swung to him “Try to not let yourself become so distracted, you lose your ability to sense even the most obvious threats, yeah?” Bracken said, smirking a little, eyes darting between June and Seth.

“How did Bella get in?” Trask asked, trying to spear Seth some embarrassment, while also wanting to get everyone back on track.

“We invited her…” Mara whispered out slowly.

“She had become a friend… We meet through a support group, for people that have lost people to the society… I thought she understood” Mara said looking gutted.

Elisa put loving arms around her.

“Please don’t blame yourself, my love. She had convinced us all. We had no way of knowing.” Elisa whispered soothingly, but it seemed to have little effect.

“She could have killed June”

“But she didn’t, June apparently has a strong protector in Seth.”

June rolled her eyes.

“She also, has been training since she was 12” June said feigning offence.

She looked over at Seth.

“Owe you one” She said, squeezing his hand in her own for a second, before walking away.

 _Are you really going to wait another year, to see her again?_ Bracken voiced inside his mind.

Flipping Bracken off, Seth took a few bounding steps to catch up to her.

“Wait, I umm…” Seth started fumbling.

Fuck, he had gotten it out while she was taken over, why couldn’t he now?

It was her eyes, looking now he could see the difference, from the ones that had looked at him with impatient before. These eyes looked at him expectantly, softly…lovingly.

“I love you” Seth whispers out.

June looks stunned.

“I mean… if you don’t… it’s okay, can still be…” Seth is trying to get out something at least resembling a full sentence.

Then he freezes in his attempt.

June’s warm lips were on his, pressing slightly.

Then Seth is kissing back, placing his hands on her cheeks and nibbling softly on her bottom lip.

His actions pull her closer, allowing him to hear the soft sigh she lets out.

Pulling back slightly for air, he keeps his hands on her cheeks, resting his forehead against hers.

“I love you too” She speaks out softly and the emotions that overtake him at those words are so strong he hears Bracken gasp at them.

Bracken, shit, and everyone else. They are in a full room of people, including his colleagues and his grandfather, who is also his boss.

He reluctantly lets his hands down and puts space between them.

She reaches out for his hand as soon as it lowers down to his side.

“Yeah, agreed.” She responded to him looking around the room. “Let’s go out back, within the boundaries” She said laughing.

It didn’t matter, Seth knew she was in control of herself again. He also knew he would follow her anywhere.


End file.
